Daughter testifies in Sheley’s 1st murder trial

GALESBURG — Relatives of a Galesburg man killed in 2008 have started testimony in the first trial of an Illinois man charged in eight homicides.

The trial of 32-year-old Nicholas Sheley of Sterling continued Monday in Knox County Court with testimony from the daughter of 65-year-old Ronald Randall of Galesburg. Sheley has pleaded not guilty to first-degree murder in Randall’s bludgeoning death.

The Register-Mail reports ( http://bit.ly/pHvSJU ) Cari Smith testified she talked to her father the morning before he was killed. Smith says she worried when he didn’t return phone calls. Randall’s body was later found behind a grocery.

Sheley has pleaded not guilty to killing five people in Illinois and two in Missouri. Those trials will be later.

Police say all were killed during a violent crime spree.